State of the Air: New York

Trisha grew up on a large family farm in Southern New Jersey, where her and her two young boys still spend a lot of their time. Trisha has an MBA with a concentration in Marketing but after her family was sickened from a toxic chemical spill near her home in 2012, she began educating herself about the health impacts of chemicals and air pollution and quickly joined Moms Clean Air Force to advocate for our children.

WE HAVE MORE THAN 48,123 NEW YORK MEMBERS

Here’s what we’re working on in New York:

New York borders the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes on earth, the Great Lakes. Source of drinking water to more than 40 million people, the Great Lakes are threatened by pollution and declining water levels, which is already resulting in increased algal bloom production. Scientists predict that climate change will cause water levels in the Great Lakes to drop significantly in coming decades, threatening this source of not only vital drinking water, but also transportation, tourism, commercial fishing operations, manufacturing operations, and sportsmen industries. This is another way that New Yorkers understand the personal, immediate impacts of climate change on our homes and communities.

Moms Clean Air Force New York joined the Just Green Partnership, working for environmental health and justice for New York’s citizens. The JustGreen Partnership supports a Children’s Environmental Health Agenda to turn the tide and protect the health of New York’s most vulnerable residents.

Natural Gas Pollution: We are demanding strong protections from methane, volatile organic compounds, and other harmful air pollutants associated with fracking and natural gas development. We support Governor Cuomo’s decision to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York

Clean Energy: We are ensuring that our energy future is renewable, clean, and healthy — for the sake of our children’s health. We support the Governor’s new plan to promote clean energy initiatives in the Southern Tier.

Chemical Policy Reform: We are fighting to keep toxic chemicals out of the products we use every day, through joining local efforts to protect families from toxic chemicals and advocating for strong implementation of the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (2016).Mercury: We are supporting strong limits on harmful mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

New York’s electricity generation by source, 2017:

Natural Gas (37%)

Nuclear (32%)

Hydro (24%)

Wind (4%)

Other (4%)

According to the American Lung Association’s 2017 State of the Air report, Albany-Schenectady, New York is ranked 1st for cleanest U.S. City for Short-Term Particle pollution

Nearly 10% of New York children have asthma

According to the American Lung Association’s 2016 State of the Air report, 8.7 percent of New York children have asthma

Staten Island was ranked 2nd dirtiest in the state for ozone pollution

From 2013 to 2014 the number of New Yorkers living in counties with failing air quality doubled, reaching 8.8 million people

The Bronx has the worst short-term particle pollution in the state and Manhattan has the worst annual level of particle pollution.

New York has joined other New England states in calling for the tighter regulation of air pollution that drifts in from Ohio and other midwestern states where emissions are not as strictly regulated

By the metric of most people living on land less than 10 feet above the high tide line, New York City is most threatened city in the long run by climate causing sea level.

On January 9 at the New School in New York City, a public event allowed for New Yorkers to testify about the EPA’s move by Administrator Scott Pruitt to repeal the Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan is often referred to as the key...

It’s five years post-Sandy. Expectations and high hopes for forward movement on protecting our children from the effects of climate change have been dashed this past year. It has been a disaster for those of us who received the on-the-ground message in 2012, when Sandy’s...

What makes up Moms Clean Air Force? Over one million Moms nationwide from a diverse range of backgrounds. Driven by the power of Mother Love, Moms Clean Air Force is a force to be reckoned with! MEMBERS STRONG We are thrilled to announce that our membership has...

A new book by business magnate and former New York city mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and Carl Pope, previously executive director of the Sierra Club, puts forth the premise of “How cities, businesses, and citizens can save the planet.” In seven chapters, they break down key...

The history of WE ACT for Justice goes back to 1988. Peggy Shepard was one of three neighborhood activists who recognized that West Harlem in New York City, was bearing the brunt of toxic pollution. The Environmental Justice movement was getting off the ground. Awareness was building...

Moms Clean Air Force New York attended Dear Tomorrow and 100% Campaign’s ‘Toast To The Mamas’ Event in Brooklyn, NY. The event kicked-off a Mother’s and Father’s Day campaign launched by DearTomorrow in partnership with the Solutions Project, Climate Parents and Moms Clean Air Force.

April 2016

Moms Clean Air Force New York participated in two special screenings of Love Thy Nature at Cinema Village. After the screening, attendees enjoyed a Q&A with the film director Sylvie Rokab and a special presentation of “Every Breath We Take”.

October 20, 2015: Participated in a round table discussion with We Act’s Executive Director Peggy Sheppard and Assistant City Commissioner Tom Mette in NYC on outdoor air pollution.

May 2015: Mama Summit 2015 | Moms Clean Air Force New York members gathered at the state capitol in Albany to call on elected officials to take action on climate change. The New York Mama Summit was co-sponsored with Clean and Healthy New York and focused on toxic chemicals in children’s products. More than 50 participants gathered in Albany for a press conference on the steps of the Million Dollar Staircase and meetings with more than 30 lawmakers to talk about children’s health.

September 2014: Moms Clean Air Force New York lead the parent contingent at the People’s Climate March. Together, we united to march with other concerned citizens, organizations, celebrities, families, and politicians to demand strong action on climate change.

2014: Moms Clean Air Force New York was proud to lend their support to over 400 families, activists, concerned citizens, and partner organizations who oppose the construction of the Port Ambrose LNG facility that is proposed to be built off of the coast of New York City and New Jersey at a public hearing.

Moms Clean Air Force New York presented on indoor asthma triggers at the New York City We Act Healthy Homes Summit. At the summit, attendees learned simple solutions that they could take to limit their child’s asthma triggers, such as removing stuffed animals from the home and vacuuming often.